No. 1 can get lonely

Top selection nowhere near a sure thing

Russell Maryland had won two national championships at Miami but had never felt such euphoria. Of all the players eligible in the 1991 NFL Draft, the Cowboys chose him first.

After the defensive lineman celebrated with his family in California, he boarded a plane to Dallas.

After landing, he felt something else: Skepticism from Cowboys fans and media. "And everyone is like, 'This is the kid?' " Maryland said, 17 years later. "And the questions start coming, and the pressure starts mounting, it's like: 'What can this guy do to help us come back from a [7-9] season?' So it's a great amount of pressure." It's pressure that very few men know, and Jake Long soon will.

Today in New York, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will announce Long as the Dolphins' No. 1 selection, five days after the former Michigan offensive tackle signed a rookie contract that guarantees him $30 million.

At his introductory news conference in Davie on Tuesday, Long said that he welcomed pressure, promising to "work hard, try to be a good leader, make myself better and help make the team better." Every No. 1 overall pick promises the same.

Many fail. David Carr, Tim Couch, Courtney Brown, Steve Emtman, Aundray Bruce. None do either in the shadows.

Every step is watched from the start.

So NFL executives must do everything to identify the right guy. "There's no question it's different," former NFL general manager Charley Casserly said. "You want a high-character player, because he is always going to be under scrutiny.